1975 Dodge Dart Rust Removal Part 1

When we last closed the garage door on our Dart Sport, we had completely disassembled it, and found exactly what areas of the car needed repair. Before we purchased the Sport, it had spent the 15 or so years prior sitting under a carport, and not moved. While this lack of use kept the mileage slightly under 150,000, it didn't do much for the back half of the car that didn't fit under the carport. What this means is that from the bottom of the rear window forward, the Sport's only needed repairs were the many small dings from mall parking lots, and who knows what else. The rear of the car, however, was another story.

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Anyway, we finally knew what needed to be fixed, and it was time to get underway. This month, we tackle the rust repair and mocked up the new rear bumper. Like we said in our last installment, in 1975, the bumpers on all cars were designed without regard to aesthetics. Let's face it, when the outside face of a bumper protrudes almost 5 inches away from the body of the car, it needs help. In our case, we decided to see what would happen if we tried to fit a rear bumper from a '72 Demon on the car. To find a nice bumper and brackets that we could use would mean that we had to first find a usable bumper and get it chromed. This means spending money for a core, and chroming. Luckily for us, we found out that Stephens Performance now has brand-new reproduction bumpers and brackets for many cars. For many guys, having an original bumper is a must, but the quality of the repop from Stephens was quite good, and fit nicely, so we had no qualms about using it. Now, the bumper brackets did need a little "tweaking," but with a little modifying, it's an easy swap.

Anyway, it took a couple of weeks of steady work to get the Sport's metal repairs in order, but the time spent was well worth it.